System for ensuring calling party privacy in a call screening system

In a telecommunications system, which enables a subscriber, using a subscriber telephone station set, to monitor and intercept the processing of an incoming message directed to said subscriber and that is presently being input into a voice messaging system by a calling party, a method operational in a call screening system for providing calling party privacy, comprising the steps of:

• providing, in response to an incoming message directed to said subscriber and that is presently being input into said voice messaging system by said calling party, an indication to said subscriber telephone station set;
• and
• delaying activation of said step of providing during a programmable time period prior to said calling party recording said incoming message in said voice messaging system.

In a telecommunications system, which enables a subscriber, using a subscriber telephone station set, to monitor and intercept the processing of an incoming message directed to said subscriber and that is presently being input into a voice messaging system by a calling party, a call screening system for providing calling party privacy, comprising:

• alert generation means, responsive to an incoming message directed to said subscriber and that is presently being input into said voice messaging system by said calling party, for providing an indication to said subscriber telephone station set;
• and
• alert delay means for delaying activation of said alert generation means during a programmable time period prior to said calling party recording said incoming message in said voice messaging system.